Hat-brim flange and center block or frame therefor.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

F. L. BUTTERWORTH.

HAT BRIM FLANGE AND CENTER BLOCK 0R FRAME THEREFOR.

APPLICATION Fg ED JAN. 23. 1903 FRANK L. BUTTERYVORTH, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

HAT-BFHM FLANGE AND CENTER BLOCK OR FRAME THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed January 23, 1903. Serial No. 140,218.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK L. BUTTER- won'rn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Brim Flanges and Center Blocks or Frames Therefor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to devices for curling hat-brims, and the present invcntion has reference more particularly to improvements in metal flanges of peculiar construction by which curling-matrices can be made much simpler, quicker, and cheaper than with matrices now in use, and, furthermore, to provide in connection therewith a center block or curling-frame of such construction that the soft-metal matrix-sections can be cast thereon and are held in place without the necessity of planing, adjusting, or placing pegs, screws, or catches upon the center block or the matrixsections or any other device whatsoever other than the peculiar construction of the center block or curling-frame shown more particularly in the drawings herewith accompanying.

A further object of this invention is to protect the soft-metal ends of the matrix-sections to make them wear longer and also to provide a truer registration of the parts; and, furthermore, another advantage is that in using softmetal sections the same can be whittled or reshaped very readily, which is not so with the usual iron matrices.

My invention consists, therefore, in the novel hat-brim flanges or matrices hereinafter more fully set forth; and, furthermore, this invention conists in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more specifically described in the following specification and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a center block or curling-frame and a pair of cast and finished metal flanges or matrices, represented in their respective positions about to be placed around the said center block or curling-frame prior to being placed in a hydraulic press or hat-brim-shaping machine for the purpose of curling thc brims of hats. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the said center block and the two matrices or metal flanges in the connect ed and operative relation with the said curl ing-frame or center block and Fig. 3 is a collective perspective view of a pair of hardmetal interlocking devices or overlapping end members to be cast in the respective ends of the soft-metal flanges, whereby each pair of such flanges or matrices can be readily connected and disconnected when necessary. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the under side of one of said curling flanges or matrices.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the said above-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In the said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates the center block or curlingframe, which is to be used in the method of curling hat brims, with the finished softmetal flanges or matrices embodying the principles of this invention and to be used in a hydraulic press for producing the exact shape and curl of the hat-brim.

The soft-metal flanges or matrices are in dicated by the reference characters 3 and 4, and the curling-frame or center block 1 is made at its ends with enlargements a, provided with cavities or receiving portions I), into which suitable enlargements, as 2 and 5, at or near the respective ends and upon the under surface of the flanges extend and are arranged therein, therebyproviding an an chorage or a means of perfect registration of the matrix-sections or flanges upon the said curlingframe or center block. That the said flanges or matrix-sections may be separably connected to enable their removal from the brim of the hat after the curling or shaping operation in the hydraulic press or other suitable hat-shaping machine, it will be necessary to provide the ends of the said flanges or matrices 3 and 4. with a set of interlocking devices or holding members 6 and 7,

'groove or channel 8 and an arm 9, having opposite1yextendingholding-lugs 10. The other device 7, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, is made with a suitable rib orprojection 11, which fits into and registers with the said groove or channel 8 of the device 6, the

said device 7 being also provided with an arm 12, having oppositely-extending holdinglugs 13. These devices 6 and 7 are made of a harder metal (usually brass) than the metal of which the flanges or matrices 8 and 4 are made or cast, these flanges 3 and 4 being cast of a soft metal, such as type-metal, and the said respective interlocking devices being thoroughly united with the respective ends of the said flanges or matrices 3 and 4, that said devices thereby provide a positive and strong means of reinforcement and separable connection between the end portions of the said flanges or matrices when used with the said center block or curling-frame 1, as will be clearly evident.

From the foregoing description it will be clearly seen that I have provided simple and cheaply constructed soft metal hat brimcurling flanges or matrices of the various shapes and sizes which are readily applicable to the center block and are anchored in their positions thereon to properly curl the brims of the hats, according to the desiredstyles and sizes. That the said flanges or matrices 3 and 4 are made of soft metal is of great advantage in that it enables the manufacturer to easily change the form and cross-section of the flange by whittling or with the use of a chisel or file to conform the flange to any change of style in the curl of the hat-brim without the necessity of furnishing entirely new flanges, as has to be done where these flanges are {made from a hard metal, as at present, and to protect the soft-metal end portions of the flanges against marring or nicking due to rough or careless handling by the workman the ends of said flanges have to be provided with the reinforcing devices of harder metal. These hard-metal reinforcing devices also reduce the possibility of an open or imperfect oint at the registering ends of the two flanges or matrices, and so prevent any creases or blemishes being produced in the fabric of the hat-body during the process of forming the hat-brim over the flanges.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with a pair of softmetal matrix members, of hard-metal overlapping end members united with and embedded in the body portions of the end members of said matrix member's, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with a pair of softmetal matrix members, of hard-metal overlapping and interlocking end members united with and embedded in the end portions of said matrix members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with a curling-frame, of soft-metal matrix members, and means for detachably holding said soft-metal matrix members in position upon said frame, and hard-metal overlapping end members united with and embedded in the end portions of said matrix members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with a curling-frame, of soft-metal matrix members, and means for detachably holding said soft metal matrix members in position upon said frame, and hard-metal overlapping and interlocking end members united with and embedded in the end portions of said matrix members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with a curling-frame provided with anchors, said anchors being arranged at the opposite ends of the frame and each anchor being formed with a pair of receiving portions, of matrix members upon said frame, and said members having end portions extending into the receiving portions of said anchors, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with a curling-frame provided with anchors, said anchors being arranged at the opposite ends of the frame and each anchor being formed with a pair of receiving portions, of matrix members upon said frame, and said members having end portions extending into the receiving portions of said anchors, and interlocking devices embedded in the ends of said matrix.

members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. A pair of separably-connected matrix members, each member comprising a curved soft-metal body of a contour conforming to the shape of a hat-brim which is to be curled, each member being made at its ends with receiving portions, and a hard-metal end looking or holding member at each end of the softmetal body, each end looking or holding member having a portion arranged in a receiving portion of the soft-metal body, and havinganother portion arranged upon and extending across the entire end face of each end of the soft-metal body to provide a protection for the ends of each matrix member, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with a curling-frame provided with anchors, said anchors having receiving portions, of a pair of matrix members, each member comprising a curved softmetal body of a contour conforming to the general outline of the curling-frame and to the shape of the hat-brim which is to be curled, each matrix member being made at its ends with receiving portions, a hard-metal end locking or holding member at each end of the soft-metal body, each looking or holding member having a portion arranged in a receiving portion of the soft-metal body and having another portion arranged upon and extending across the entire end face of each end of the soft-metal body to provide a protection for the ends of each matrix member, and each matrix member being provided with enlargements forming holding members and registering with the receiving portions of said anchors of the curling-frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. A hat-brim-forming flange comprising a soft-metal body, and a reinforcing means at each end of the said body, said means being made of a hard metal and extending laterally across each end of the flange, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. I

10. The combination, with a pair of soft metal matrix members, of hard-metal reinforcing members at each end of the soft-metal matrix members, each reinforcing member extending laterally across each end of the flange, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of January, 1903.

FRANK L. BUTTERYVORTII.

WVitnesses:

FREDK. FRAENTZEL, G120. D. RICHARDS. 

